MISCELLANEA. 
335 
symptoms of having been poisoned. Clara Mason, the deceased, was the most affected, 
and notwithstanding medical aid, she died on the following day. The rest of the family 
were seriously affected by the poison, but are progressing favourably. The jury returned 
a verdict of “ Accidental Death.” ' 
Supposed Poisoning* by u ijocoek’s Pulmonic Wafers/’—An inquest was 
held before Dr. Birt Davis, at Birmingham, November 3rd, when evidence was given to 
the effect that Alfred Ernest Pumphrey, a child of a year and ten months old, was put 
to bed mid-day in perfect health, when taken up at two o’clock, he was found to be 
unable to stand, his eyes were heavy, and turned upwards, but no contraction of the 
pupils was noticeable. It was concluded that the child had had a fit of some kind 
during his sleep, he was put into a warm bath, and castor oil was given. The medical 
man saw the chiid at five o’clock, and left considering that he was suffering from the 
effects of a convulsive fit. The child died about six o’clock. An examination was made, 
and there was no evidence of disease in the heart, lungs, or digestive organs, but there 
was congestion of the brain, with a little effusion of blood. The second day after death 
the real cause was discovered: a box was found empty under the child’s crib that had 
contained Locock’s Pulmonic Wafers. The servant had placed the box of wafers with 
some other things behind the looking-glass, but within reach of the child from his crib. 
There was no blame attached to the servant, and the wafers, it was stated, contained 
morphia. The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental Death.” 
Accidental Poisoning by Oil of Vitriol.—A distressing case of accidental poi¬ 
soning occurred in Galashiels. An infant of Mr. Hugh Roberts, manufacturer, having 
shown some symptoms of croup, its mother administered a dose of what she supposed 
to be pectoral syrup ; but from the effect which the medicine took upon the child, it was 
at once seen that a fatal mistake had been made, and, on examining the bottle, it 
was found to contain vitriol, which had been put into it some time previously. The 
label of the original contents of the bottle having been left adhering to it led to the 
mistake. Medical aid was immediately called, and everything was done that skill could 
suggest, but the little sufferer died within a few hours after the administration of the 
poison. 
Poisoning by Veratria.—The inquiry respecting this case, the particulars of which 
appeared in our number for October, page 244, was resumed, for the seventh time, on 
Thursday, October 19th, when the following verdict was returned“ That the deceased, 
Elizabeth Reeve, came by her death, on the 15th of August, 18G5, from the effects of a 
deadly poison known as veratria, or hellebore; but how, when, or by whom such poison 
was administered there is not sufficient evidence before them to show. The jury, how¬ 
ever, wish to add that in their opinion the taking of such poison was not the act or deed 
of the deceased herself.” 
Poisoning- by Strychnine.—Dr. Wilson relates a remarkable case of this kind in 
which a young man took, it was supposed, four grains of strychnine, though it is not 
stated how the quantity was ascertained, and yet recovered so as to be able, fifteen 
hours after swallowing the poison, to leave the hotel by an omnibus for the railway. It 
is conjectured that some coffee which he took after the poison, and the fact of his having 
taken the latter in bread, which was soon vomited up, had much to do with his recovery. 
The convulsions w'ere of a very terrific character, with very short remissions. The re¬ 
medies employed were tannin and opium .—American Journal of Med. Science and 
Medical Gazette. 
Wholesale Poisoning.—A remarkable case of wholesale poisoning, by mistake, 
recently occurred in the town of Shiloh, Randolph County, Illinois. Two physicians, 
Drs. Campbell and Miuner, residing in the town, sent to a drug store in the neigh¬ 
bouring village of Chester for a quantity of calomel. In the course of one day this 
calomel was administered to some forty persons. All of these persons were taken 
violently ill, and on examination it was found that large quantities of corrosive sublimate 
had been mixed with the calomel. Further inquiry showed that the drug thus adulte¬ 
rated had not been tampered with by the apothecary in Chester, for calomel mixed with 
corrosive sublimate w r as found in the warehouse of the wholesale dealer in St. Louis, 
from whom the retailer had purchased it; and on following up the investigation it be¬ 
came evident that the presence of the poison was due to the carelessness of the British 
manufacturer of the calomel. Seven of the victims of this dreadful mistake have already 
died in the town of Shiloh alone. How much further the results of the blunder have 
